The Joker, Clown Prince of Crime, is Batman's arch-nemesis. An agent of chaos known for his purple three-piece suit and insidious smile, he has caused Batman more suffering than any other villain he has ever faced. His origin, name, and true motivations remain a mystery.

Off My Mind: Does the Joker Know Batman's Secret Identity?

There is no questioning the fact that the Joker is Batman's greatest enemy. Many say they are opposite sides of the same coin and others say they are actually more alike than either would care to admit. The Joker is Batman's deadliest villain and he's shown many times he won't hesitate to get nasty and make personal attacks against anyone that gets in his way.

Batman has tried to contain the dangers of fighting evil. Despite his many times being reluctant to allow others to stand by his side in the fight, there are many individuals that are part of the Bat Family. Their greatest weakness could be the danger of their secret identities getting revealed. This would allow their enemies to attack and catch them off guard.

The Joker's sanity is often called into question but his times of goofiness are by no means an indication that he is not intelligent. What does it mean when Batman's greatest enemy might be aware of his greatest secret along with the identities of those closest to him?

== TEASER ==

Jason Todd

Minor spoiler here. Starting with Jason, we saw in last week's RED HOOD AND THE OUTLAWS #0 that Joker claims to have had a hand in creating the second Robin for Batman.

First of all, this account came directly from Joker so we know there might be some credibility issues with that fact alone. It does offer a conflicting view as to how much he knows about Jason and Bruce.

The idea is Joker realized that Batman needs a Robin. This must have been after Dick left to become Nightwing. Joker was in a situation where he was observing Jason's dad get a bullet removed with Jason tagging along.

When Joker selected Jason as the target of his molding, he made a point with his henchman that he didn't want to know Jason or his father's name.

Despite this, Joker apparently was able to manipulate Jason's life. He was able to observe Jason's dad get arrested, which means he knew where he lived. He dumped Jason's beaten body at Leslie Thompkins' clinic, somehow knowing she had a tie to Batman. And he also knew that all of his actions would lead Jason down the road to becoming Batman's new partner.

It seemed that Joker didn't want to know who Jason was or who the next Robin would be. But if he knew about the connections and followed his own trail of Jason moving in with Bruce and then Batman gaining a new Robin, it'd be all right there in front of him.

Batman

Batman is the big one. During BATMAN: R.I.P., there was a lot of people running around that knew Batman's identity. Bruce Wayne's girlfriend, Jezebel Jet, a famous model, was apparently kidnapped by the Black Glove. As she was being held "captive," Batman removed his makeshift mask as Jezebel was screaming out "Bruce!"

Joker was standing right behind Batman. Joker has had contact with Bruce Wayne before. Even if he didn't care about the romantic liaisons of Gotham's wealthy, he would have to put together that "Bruce" was billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne.

Nightwing

Does Joker also know Dick Grayson's identity? First of all, as Nightwing, wearing a teeny tiny mask may not be the best means to conceal a secret identity. Also during R.I.P., Dick was captured by Black Glove and his little mask was removed. Joker was wandering around during all of this. Dick Grayson is also a prominent member of Gotham's elite. Of course if Joker knows Bruce, he could easily know Dick's relationship to him.

Batgirl

What about Barbara Gordon? We all know that when Joker shot her, he wasn't targeting her. He did it as a way to try to make Jim Gordon crazy. In the pre-New 52, Barbara stopped being Batgirl and retired before she was shot. In the post-New 52, that may not be the case. Since we're looking at a shorter time frame, she could have still been active as Batgirl and forced to retire when she was paralyzed. This along with her hair color and having a crime-fighting father could make reason for the lack of Batgirl running around obvious (no pun intended).

Joker Doesn't Care?

Joker isn't necessarily the most stable individual. Perhaps his greatest joy is in fighting Batman. These aren't the only instances where it appeared that Joker might know more than he lets on. The big argument could be made that he just doesn't care who Batman is under his mask. The game he's playing is against Batman, now the mild mannered individual underneath. This many not necessarily mean innocents associated with his target are safe as we saw Joker use the fact that he knew where Gordon lived and attacked Barbara to get to him. Why wouldn't Joker do the same to anyone close to Batman?

It may not make sense but when we're talking about the Joker and his reasons for doing what he does, there's just no way to make sense of it all.

Tony Guerrero is the Editor-in-Chief of Comic Vine. You can follow him on Twitter@GManFromHeck. He tries to makes sure certain enemies don't know all of his secrets.

I honestly think he knows and really just does not care. He is insane, but not stupid by any means. As I said he knows he just does not care as long as Batman and the others are around for him to 'play' with he's happy.

I think it's pretty clear that Joker knows what's going on, I mean seriously... from all the times Joker and Batman fought each other it's nearly impossible to not notice that Bruce Wayne is Batman. And even if he did not know about the other members of the "bat-family" before he "discovered" who batman is, he can easily find it out after. So I believe Joker just doesn't give a damn about the man behind the mask, Bruce Wayne, or anyone else, just isn't interesting enough for Joker, he needs someone who can counterpart him, and that's Batman not Bruce.

I think that the key point of any argument about the Joker is "does he care?"

The Joker is - without any doubt - insane, he's also very clever and perceptive. While is very likely that either he knows, or can deduce pretty easily, Batman's identity, I think doesn't want to. For the Joker the battle is with Batman, not Bruce Wayne. As rich and famous Wayne is, he's no Batman. The Bat is a symbol, a myth and this is what the Joker aims to destroy. The man behind the mask is inconsequential to him, because there will be no pathos, no drama, no theatre in destroying him, even with the whole world watching. Crushing Bats instead will be the chance of lifetime, his way to have revenge and immortality in a single moment.

I hope so. I kind of like when the arch villain knows who the hero is. It's what made Norman Osborn such a great villain, until marvel got bored with him and made him an avengers villain after one more day.

Could it maybe be that joker does care who Bruce is but only when he wears the cowl? I'm not sure if this still counts or not but in the black mirror when dick meets the joker, even though he is wearing the cowl he has no interest in him saying "your not my bat". So perhaps joker doesn't care who Bruce or Batman are, he's only interested when Bruce is Batman.

Keeping in mind the number of people who actually do know Batman's real identity it would be hard to imagine the Joker didn't. Well, we'll just have to hope Scott Snyder will hang around long enough, tell us all the stories about the Batman and the Joker and no questions will be left unanswered and no stories will be left untold. In fact we don't know anything about the Jokers background and real identity. The mask just never really comes off. Not even when he's imprisoned in the Asylum. The greatest taboo in comic books: Don't take the Jokers' mask off! Maybe i just don't know the story? Jk

I always thought Joker knew, and to quote everyone else, he wants the man wearing the cowl not Bruce. I think of it like, when Bruce is not Batman he acts less like Batman (playboy, billionaire, philanthropist), if Joker were to attack Bruce where would be his challenge? But when the mask comes on, it's fair game.

I love that the Joker knows Batmans' identity but is beyond such trivial information. It places him as a higher class of villain, working on a different level and makes him truly, truly scary as an adversary and a character.

Let me throw a complete different theory out there. Expanding on the idea that he helped direct Jason Todd to become Robin - take the 1989 Tim Burton movie as a vehicle. Jack Napier, pre-Joker, killed Thomas & Martha Wayne, thus helping, in a twisted sort of way (which is the only way the Joker would operate), create Batman.

Using this theory, not only does he know that Bruce Wayne and Batman are the same person, he even helped create him. He did it to have someone to challenge him. Thus the reason why he will never destroy him. Both Batman & the Joker rely on each other and need each other too much to ever destroy the other. You can't have peanut butter without the jelly.

Even if Joker does know who Batman is, he doesn't care. To him, Batman is more important than Bruce Wayne and fortunately for Bruce, Joker's instability means no one would take him seriously if he told anyone.

I dont think the Joker really cares, he forms his own reality from his demented mind and to him, Batman is the real person whilst Bruce Wayne is just a disguise he wears. I think if he does know its not something he would ever act on, if he kills Bruce Wayne it gets some headlines, if he kills the Batman the world sits up and takes notice.

I think one of the best panels that dealt with this issue was in the Arkham asylum graphic novel. Tweedle Dee and Dumm suggested they make a Batman take of his mask to save some hostages. Joker comments that IS his face.

Joker realizes Bruce Wayne died in that ally with his parents. Only Batman came out of there alive. And its as Batman he wants to battle and defeat his obsessed foe.

And in my opinion, Joker said it best in Rogers and Englehart's run.

Joker knows and not only doesn't want to exploit the information himself, he takes deadly steps to keep others from finding out.

Why go after Batman and not the easier, faster way by killing Bruce and his family and friends unaware? Because that would end the game, and be unworthy of Joker's brilliance.

I remember seeing this somewhere, maybe the cartoons. Someone tries to sell Batman's real identity to Joker and he says something to the effect that he doesn't want it because killing the man behind the Batman is not the same as killing the Batman. I have always kind of hoped that he knew and didn't care. Same with Commissioner Gordan.

I always liked to think of it as the Joker doesn't know and doesn't want to know. As said in the article, Joker is playing these games with Batman, not the man under the mask. He rarely shows interest in the secret identity. And even if he were to find out all of the Bat-family's identities (as it seems he will in Death of the Family) I bet he'll lack any interest in the men and women behind the masks.

I can't take the time to go through all my comics, but there was one in the 80's where Joker and his henchmen have Batman down and out. One of the henchmen says "Boss, want me to take the mask off, so we can see his real face?" The JOker replies "That IS his real face!" Point taken, that Joker doesn't think it matters what Bats secret identity is, because whoever it is, (and I suspect he knows) is really the mask, Batman is the real person. Much as I doubt Batman cares who the Joker really is.

Then there was the scene in "Death in the Family" where Joker stares at bruce Wayne in the crowd. Lame as that story was on many levels, THAT scene was pure gold! Made the entire storyline.

Exactly. Lot's of people seem to keep forgetting the old adage... Clark Kent is Superman, but Batman is Bruce Wayne. Of course Joker cares who is under the mask and knows he is Bruce Wayne. Bruce Wayne is only pretending when he takes the Batman suit off, Batman is who he actually "is". Hence when Dick Grayson shows up as Batman the Joker doesn't care, because he isn't the REAL Batman he is Dick Grayson wearing a Batman suit.

The last thing the Joker wants is to actually defeat Batman. If he kills, unmasks, or permanently injures Batman then the game is over, and that wouldn't be any fun would it? The Joker literally lives for fighting Batman, and a fake pretend Batman just won't do.

Not to mention the saying "a rose by any other name is just as sweet" Batman's so called real name doesn't matter to Joker because it doesn't change who Batman is. This is also probably why he never uses or seems to even care about his own name, he is the Joker, not whatever moniker his parents threw on him.

Like most others have said, I think the cool thing about the Joker is that he really doesn't care who Batman is. At this point it is very hard to believe that the Joker would not know that Bruce is Batman, but he loves the costumed game they play too much to ever act on that information. For one, the Joker is physically mutilated (not talking about his recent loss of face) and therefore not allowed a secret identity, accepting that Batman has a normal life that he can go to might be very painful to admit, and just not as fun. We've seen before that Joker didn't want to look under the mask. That's why I don't think he's ever gone after Bruce Wayne. Not because he doesn't know, but because it is unsportsmanlike in the bizarre game that Joker plays with old Bats.

All this seems like it might be changing with Death of the Family next month though. It will be very interesting to see how that story plays out.

I'm with the "He doesn't care" crowd! I mean it's all fun and games to him so the chaos is heightened even more. He just wants a worthy opponent and he's found them in the Batfamily. All of them. It's like Batman keeps giving him new playthings.

I don't think it's really a question of "does he know". He does. You'd have to do a really deliberately shallow reading of Joker stories to try to convince yourself he doesn't know. He knows. He just doesn't care. Obviously we haven't seen much of him in The New 52 yet, but I really don't foresee that changing much.

I can't take the time to go through all my comics, but there was one in the 80's where Joker and his henchmen have Batman down and out. One of the henchmen says "Boss, want me to take the mask off, so we can see his real face?" The JOker replies "That IS his real face!" Point taken, that Joker doesn't think it matters what Bats secret identity is, because whoever it is, (and I suspect he knows) is really the mask, Batman is the real person. Much as I doubt Batman cares who the Joker really is.

Then there was the scene in "Death in the Family" where Joker stares at bruce Wayne in the crowd. Lame as that story was on many levels, THAT scene was pure gold! Made the entire storyline.

I believe he says that in Arkham Asylum A serious place on Serious Ground ( I think thats it)

I think it was Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum who ask Joker, you only see the silhouettes of two guys connected by an odd head device and in the script in mentions them. ( I think)

Joker doesn't care.... But He will know and care in the new 52. to quote the scott "this is a joker we've never seen before" and "he gonna strike at the batman family" thus joker is about become a generic comic book villain who's only plan is too kidnap the hero's loved one